It was standing room only inside Commission Chambers at City Hall on Thursday, April 5, 2018 during the City of West Palm Beach’s swearing-in ceremony. Judge Bradley Harper administered the oath of office to newly elected City Commissioners Kelly Shoaf (District 1) and Christina Lambert (District 5) and, also, to Commissioner Paula Ryan (District 3) who was named the new Commission President. Mayor Muoio thanked Commissioners Sylvia Moffett and Shanon Materio for their service and recognized Commissioner Cory Neering for his work as Commission President during this past year

The West Palm Beach City Commission is now made up of Commissioners Kelly Shoaf (District 1), Cory Neering (District 2), Paula Ryan (District 3), Keith James (District 4) and Christina Lambert (District 5).

The ceremony opened with the Presentation of Colors by the West Palm Beach Police Department Explorers, and Commissioner Neering led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. City of West Palm Beach employee Robert Cintron sang the National Anthem, and Reverend Kevin Jones of Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church delivered the invocation.

Congratulations to Commissioners Shoaf, Lambert and Ryan and very best wishes to Commissioners Moffett and Materio!

On April 5, 2018, under the direction of West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio, the City convened a task force on homelessness. The West Palm Beach Task Force on Homelessness, led by Housing and Community Development Director Armando Fana, is charged with developing three to five short and long term recommendations for housing and shelter, mental health, safety and security. The recommendations-- which may include funding and staffing resources, better coordination among agencies, ordinances, etc. -- will be presented to the City Commission and other stakeholders for approval and funding in 60 days.

“We are grateful to our partners for joining with us in this effort, said West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio. “We have assembled a wonderful team to tackle a very big issue faced by not only West Palm Beach but also municipalities across the country. I look forward to seeing their recommendations.”

The West Palm Beach Homelessness Task Force participants include:

West Palm Beach residents, community members and merchants

Office of the State Attorney

Palm Beach County

Downtown Development Authority

Homeless Coalition

St. Ann Place

Lord’s Place

Senator Philip D. Lewis Center

Jerome C. Golden Center for Behavioral Health

West Palm Beach Police Department (WPBPD)

PCS Security

Habitat for Humanity.

“The City remains determined to eradicating homelessness by providing direct homelessness assistance and building partnerships that increase homeless outreach efforts, housing for the homeless, and access to mental health and substance abuse treatment,” said HCD Director Armando Fana.

Recently, the City announced it has seen a reduction of its on-street homeless population by 14% in the last year, according to the latest Point-in-Time (PIT) Count. The annual count conducted by Palm Beach County in January 2018 identified 426 unsheltered residents, down from 498 unsheltered residents in January 2017. At least 39-of those individuals were diverted from homelessness as a result of City programs.

The City continues providing assistance to the City’s homeless population with the goal of finding permanent homes for our most vulnerable residents. The City’s Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) continues to work with the Lord’s Place and other organizations to help the homeless get into homes.

Numerous factors may contribute to the issue of homelessness including the state of the economy, lack of affordable housing, the opioid crisis, mental/behavioral health, and federal funding for mental health. The City is working with the County to add more beds for homeless residents at the Senator Philip D. Lewis Homeless Resource Center.

The City has developed the following initiatives and programs with the goal of finding permanent homes for our most vulnerable residents:

Partnership with to the Lord's Place-

Donation of City owned duplexes for transitional/ supportive housing.

Awarded funds for the Peer Outreach Program which provides screening and support services to West Palm Beach homeless.

Homeward Bound Program - Provides a non-refundable/non-transferable transportation ticket and care package to assist homeless persons to reunite with their families within the United States.

Real Change Movement - The Real Change Movement is a partnership between the Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County and the City of West Palm Beach. The City has re-purposed a total of 10 parking meters in downtown West Palm Beach for donations by the public. The City will match the funds collected in the meters by up to $50K, and the funds are utilized for permanent housing for the homeless. This initiative also provides education and awareness to the public on homelessness and panhandling.

Permanent Supportive Housing-The City is providing financial incentives and support to non-profit providers of supportive housing for special needs populations such as the elderly and disabled that are most at risk for homelessness. There are 130 units of additional permanent supportive housing scheduled to begin construction in 2018 within the City

Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS Program - The Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program is the only federal program dedicated to the housing needs of people living with HIV/AIDS.

The City has awarded grants to the Palm Beach County Housing Authority and the Jerome Golden Center For Behavioral Health, Inc., in order to provide housing throughout Palm Beach County.

Congratulations to Mayor Muoio, Ebony Chorale Founder Dr. Orville Lawton, and West Palm Beach attorney Selesia Smith-Gordon for the very special recognition they received for their contributions to the Northwest community and the community at large. During a luncheon last week hosted by the Northwest Community Consortium, Inc. (NCCI), these outstanding community servants were honored with the NCCI Illumination Award for their work in the Northwest. Proceeds from the luncheon will support the development of NCCI's proposed Northwest Community Health Center as well as other programs. The luncheon keynote speaker was Commissioner Paula Ryan.

It is the mission of the Northwest Community Consortium, Inc, to act as an advocate, mobilizer and community resource to revitalize the Northwest Neighborhood through a network of organizations that offer youth, education, job training, health, housing, senior, homeless and other social services. NCCI is the thriving hub of a network of organizations that transform the Northwest Neighborhood into a community that is vibrant, safe and clean and where children are nurtured and educated, adults are self-sufficient and families are strong, healthy and engaged. To learn more about NCCI, please visit: http://ncciwpb.org

To inform and update West Palm Beach residents, businesses and visitors of new projects in review by the City of West Palm Beach Development Services Department, the City has unveiled an online information portal-- which details the status of private building projects in our City-- on the City’s website.

The Citywide Projects List Information Portal includes more than 50 construction projects that have yet to begin, have been approved, are under construction, or have been recently completed. The list provides detailed information plus photos or renderings for each project. The projects, everything from high-rise buildings to plazas, include:

“With more than $2.7 billion in projects in the pipeline, West Palm Beach is undergoing an economic revival as a result of tremendous outside investment,” said West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio. “If you are interested in what is happening with these projects, you can now track them on the City’s website. We encourage everyone to take a look!”

The projects provide additional employment opportunities and will add to the City of West Palm Beach $12-billion tax base.

“The Development Services Department is hopeful that this will be a good resource for anyone curious to know what is happening in our great city,” said Development Services Director Rick Greene. “We are optimistic this will further our efforts in becoming an even more transparent organization.”

These citywide building projects are in addition to the 157 capital improvement projects totaling $230-million that are planned or under construction to enhance our City’s infrastructure and improve public spaces. You can view the capitol improvements projects information portal by visiting here:http://gis.wpb.org/cipstorymap/

West Palm Beach GreenMarket Receives

National Recognition... Again!

(REPRINTED FROM THE BOSTON GLOBE):

"Arepas sizzle on a hot griddle, freshly made crepes are folded around your choice of savory or sweet fillings, Pumphouse nitro cold-brew coffee shoots from a tap, and a man yielding a machete hacks away at green coconuts to extract fresh coconut water. Welcome to the West Palm Beach GreenMarket, which offers a diverse and exciting array of fresh and prepared foods, baked goods, and plenty of family fun on Saturday mornings.

"New Englanders love their farmers’ markets, but this one in southern Florida is something else to behold. If you’re heading this way for vacation make sure to stop here — the market runs Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. through April 21 — for any combination of breakfast, snack, lunch, and shopping..."

7th National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation is UnderwayWest Palm Beach joins nationwide challenge to be most “water wise”

Grassy Waters Preserve, the Source of our City's Water Supply

West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio is joining mayors across the country in asking residents to make a long-term commitment to manage water resources more wisely by taking part in the annual Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation — and in return residents can win $5,000 toward their Home Utility Payments, water saving fixtures, and hundreds of other prizes. Plus, one lucky charity will receive a 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid to serve the community.

The annual challenge, April 1- 30, is a non-profit national community service campaign to see which leaders can best inspire their residents to make a series of informative and easy-to-do online pledges at mywaterpledge.com to use water more efficiently, reduce pollution, and save energy.

“Water is a precious resource, and conservation starts with each and every one of us—at home, in our yards, in our communities,” said West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio. “I challenge all West Palm Beach residents to take the pledge and conserve water! Let’s win this!”

Last year, residents from over 4,800 cities in all 50 U.S. states pledged to reduce their annual consumption of freshwater by 2.2 billion gallons, reduce waste sent to landfills by 52 million pounds, and prevent more than 114,000 pounds of hazardous waste from entering our watersheds. The

“The challenge goes beyond drought issues and looks at ways our water use will affect the future of our communities—from how we grow food to reducing polluted runoff,” said Penni Redford, Manager of Resiliency and Climate Change in the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability.

To participate, residents enter online at mywaterpledge.com, and then make a series of online pledges to conserve water on behalf the City of West Palm Beach. Cities compete in the following population categories: (5,000- 29,999 residents, 30,000-99,999 residents, 100,000-299,999 residents, 300,000-599,999 residents, and 600,000+ residents). Cities with the highest percentage of residents who take the Challenge in their population category are entered into drawings for hundreds of eco-friendly prizes, including home improvement gift cards, home irrigation equipment, and the Grand Prize $5,000 Home Utility Bill Payment. The Challenge also gives residents a chance to nominate a deserving charity that would benefit from receiving a 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, and features additional resources for residents to take their commitment of conservation even further, from regional water and energy resource issues to cost-saving tips at home.

The 7th National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation is presented by the Wyland Foundation and Toyota, with support from the U.S EPA WaterSense, The Toro Company, National League of Cities, Conserva Irrigation, and Earth Friendly Products (makers of ECOS).

Yard Waste Amnesty Starts is Underway: In preparation for the 2018 storm season, the City of West Palm Beach is pleased to share that this year’s Yard Waste Amnesty Days are underway. For more information, please visit:

Calling all volunteers! Want to help make our fantastic City parks even better? Are you a student who needs volunteer hours? Are you interested in giving back to our community? Volunteers are encouraged to sign up to help the City clean Dreher Park South of West Palm Beach on Saturday, April 14, 2018 from 12:00pm – 4:00pm.

Volunteer work to be completed includes:

Painting fence lines;

Painting rental pavilions;

Trimming and weeding vegetation;

Trimming trees;

Removing litter and debris.

Individuals 8+, families, and groups are encouraged to participate! Volunteers must complete a volunteer application and should register in advance.

Dreher Park South is located at 5705 Dreher Trail South. We'll meet at the Main Pavilion, # 3 towards the back of the park. To participate, contact: Jeslyn Stanislawski at (561) 804-4938/Jstanis@wpb.org or Rhonda Barona (561) 804-4906/ Rbarona@wpb.org.

CORRECTION

In a recent edition of the Insider Newsletter, we reported on the sale of the old city hall site. We are excited about the sale and especially enthusiastic about the new development that will be taking place! However, we regret that we mistakenly shared the wrong renderings for the project! Sincerest apologies from your newsletter editor, who now wishes to share with you the correct renderings for the project, seen below, which were provided to us by the developer.

We are looking for your input! The City of West Palm Beach historic preservation staff wishes to update the existing historic preservation design guidelines to better serve the public. Please provide your feedback by clicking on the banner below.

Please take a moment to share your talents, interests, hobbies, training, and experiences with us. Volunteers of all ages, experiences and locations in the community are needed. Are you ready to make a difference? To learn more about becoming a City of West Palm Beach volunteer, please visit: http://wpb.org/volunteer.

APPS

DOWNLOAD IT ON THE APP STORE:

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*Note: The City utilizes the Code Red app to alert only incorporated West Palm Beach residents.

City of West Palm Beach Meetings, Policy Updates

The next meeting of the City Commission will be on April 9, 2018 at 5pm.

Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2018; Residential garbage will resume on your next scheduled service day beginning 11/26/18. Recycling will resume on 11/29/18. Bulk/Yard and Commercial Divisions are one day behind regular schedule.

Christmas Day, December 25, 2018: Residential garbage will resume your next scheduled service day beginning 12/28/18. Recycling will resume on 1/1/19. Bulk/Yard and Commercial Divisions are one day behind regular schedule.

New Year's Day, January 1, 2019: Residential garbage will resume on your next scheduled service day beginning 1/4/19. Recycling will operate on normal schedule. Bulk/Yard and Commercial Divisions are one day behind regular schedule.

The sanitation schedule is produced by the City of West Palm Beach Department of Public Works. For more information, please call (561) 822-2075.

Downtown WPB Trolley Schedule

The Downtown West Palm Beach Trolley Service is FREE courtesy of the City of West Palm Beach, the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), Palm Beach Outlets, and the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). Operated by Molly's Trolleys, the trolleys pick up and drop off at designated stops in the City and are handicapped accessible. The trolley is a convenient way to move throughout the City and to visit all of your favorite downtown shops, restaurants, and attractions!

There are three routes in the downtown: the Yellow Line, Green Line, and Blue Line. The Yellow and Green Line trolleys pick up passengers every 10-15 minutes, and the Blue Line picks up every half hour with set stop times.

The Green Line travels to the TriRail Station and downtown to make it even easier to vist our attractions. Hours of operation: 7 days a week (No service on Thanksgiving or Christmas); Monday - Friday: 8am - 7pm; Saturday: 9am - 6 pm; Sunday: 11am - 6pm.

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